NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Lesser Kestrel
Falco naumanni J. G. Fleischer, 1818
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) is a small falcon. This species breeds from the Mediterranean across Afghanistan and Central Asia, to China and Mongolia. It is a summer migrant, wintering in Africa and Pakistan and sometimes even to India and Iraq. It is rare north of its breeding range, and declining in its European range. The genus name derives from Late Latin falx, falcis, a sickle, referencing the claws of the bird, and the species name commemorates the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Naumann.
Wikipedia contributors, Lesser kestrel; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T04:06:42.040367+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Falco naumanni J. G. Fleischer, 1818
- Name authority
- J. G. Fleischer, 1818
- Common name
- Lesser Kestrel
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Falconiformes
- Family
- Falconidae
- Genus
- Falco
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderFalconiformes
- familyFalconidae Leach, 1820
- subfamilyFalconinae Leach, 1820
- genusFalco Linnaeus, 1758
- speciesFalco naumanni J. G. Fleischer, 1818
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Falco. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Amur FalconFalco amurensis Radde, 1863 | FalconidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Brown FalconFalco berigora Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 | FalconidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Lanner FalconFalco biarmicus Temminck, 1825 | FalconidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Australian FalconFalco cenchroides Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 | FalconidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Red-headed FalconFalco chicquera Daudin, 1800 | FalconidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| African HobbyFalco cuvierii A. Smith, 1830 | FalconidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Orange-breasted FalconFalco deiroleucus Temminck, 1825 | FalconidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Taita FalconFalco fasciinucha Reichenow & Neumann, 1895 | FalconidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Aplomado FalconFalco femoralis Temminck, 1822 | FalconidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Gray FalconFalco hypoleucos Gould, 1841 | FalconidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Laggar FalconFalco jugger J. E. Gray, 1834 | FalconidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Prairie FalconFalco mexicanus Schlegel, 1850 | FalconidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Europe & Northern Asia (excluding China)
Southern Asia
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=175646 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3DTGF. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.